Countess Dracula
by Maharet11
Summary: Based on the Francis Ford Coppola movie. What if Van Helsing hadn't managed to fend Mina off with the holy wafer when she began to turn on him in the wilderness? Dracula/Mina.
1. Chapter 1

Mina knelt by the campfire, dark green dress clinging to her body and pooling over the snow-covered ground at her knees. Not that she needed the fire. The very blood in her veins warmed her body, made her impervious to the chill. 

Her irises reddened slightly around the edges of her pupils as flakes of snow twirled around in the wind with even more intensity than before, as if heralding the arrival of them. And they were here now, she knew. They were others like her. They were her sisters.

Mina rose fluidly to her feet then stumbled, taken aback by a sudden assault on her senses. She threw back her head as she continued to stumble, arms flailing. Then, suddenly, everything sharpened. She straightened rigidly, her back to Van Helsing, and then she spoke.

"You have been so good to me, Professor," she murmured sweetly, a hint of maliciousness colouring her tone. Then she heard a female voice whispering to her, "Yes, sweet one. His blood is yours, if you want it. Take it, before he murders you."

Mina inclined her head slightly then turned slowly to face the man who was now her mortal enemy. Or perhaps he always had been. 'The Good Doctor' had, when it came down to it, murdered Lucy. Dear sweet Lucy, who had been her soul mate and her sister in all but blood.

Mina almost laughed when she recognised the small glint in his eyes. It was lust, of all things. Well, perhaps she could use this new discovery to her advantage.

"I know Lucy harboured secret desires for you. She told me," Mina intoned seductively, pulling at the bodice of her dress so that it revealed some of her cleavage. She knew Lucy would have forgiven her for the lie, were she in any condition to do so.

"I, too, know what men desire," she added as she stepped towards him with open arms. Lo and behold, he walked straight into the trap, sliding an arm around her waist and burying his face in her shoulder.

Mina's tone turned from seductive to furious as she uttered her next words; "Will you cut off my head and drive a stake through my heart as you did poor Lucy, you murdering bastard?" An animalistic growl rose in her throat as she finished speaking.

Van Helsing obviously realised his peril, for his head rose from her shoulder, and he attempted to back away. She already had his arm in a bruising, vice-like grip, however, and as he realised this, he began to speak, no, yell, in a desperate, slightly wild, tone.

"Not while I live, I've sworn… to protect you," he cried out. Mina's reply was to snarl, and begin to lower her mouth towards his throat. She stopped as movement from his free arm caught her eye, and managed to seize his wrist before he was able to burn her with the holy wafer he had taken from his pocket while she was speaking.

Van Helsing flinched with pain when her grip on his wrist tightened cruelly, and his fingers involuntarily loosened their hold on the wafer, so that it fell to the ground, where it was quickly lost beneath the falling snow.

Mina gave a bitter, mocking laugh, and then she lodged her fangs in his throat. She moaned with pleasure as warm, delicious blood slid down her throat. She had been hungry before, when the food she had been provided with had repulsed her, but now she knew what she had wanted, no, needed, and she knew she would never eat anything else again.

Van Helsing struggled at first, fighting until the end, but then he fell limp and his heart stopped beating. Only then did Mina relinquish her hold on him, allowing his lifeless body to fall motionless to the ground.

She stood as still as a statue, staring emotionlessly at the corpse of her first victim. There was no going back now. The only one who could have saved her from this fate was dead because of her… but she did not need saving. She had chosen this fate because of love, and she did not regret it.

With that in mind, she turned to meet the eyes of the three beautiful women who now stood before her. The one who stood at the forefront and appeared to be the leader inclined her head in a gesture of respect. "Countess," she greeted, almost reverent. The others curtseyed deeply.

Mina smiled kindly and reached out to touch the first woman's face. "My sisters," she whispered.

To Be Continued…


	2. Chapter 2

_Mina smiled kindly and reached out to touch the first woman's face. "My sisters," she whispered._

* * *

The others fell in behind Mina as she strode away from the campsite. She stopped, however, when a sudden thought struck her. Turning to the leader, who was about two feet behind her, while the others flanked her from behind, Mina asked in a slightly worried tone, "Has he returned?"

The other woman did not need to ask who she referred to. "No, he has yet to return," she replied softly. Seeing Mina's concerned frown, she added; "I would not worry. Our Master is old and strong, and your humans are foolish to stand against him."

Mina's expression did not immediately change, for she remembered Van Helsing drilling the men on the Count's weaknesses. But then her eyes narrowed and her face hardened. "My humans?" she almost growled. "And how do you know of the hunt, if he has not returned?"

The other woman shrugged gracefully. "You married one of them, did you not? And Prince Vlad is our Maker. He informed us through the mind link of some of the events that have transpired."

Mina was still worried, but she shoved these thoughts to the back of her mind as she focused on her new sisters, all of whom wore revealing white gowns.

The leader had liberally curled just-past the-shoulder hair of a rather dark shade of caramel, and big, dark, chestnut-coloured eyes. Her skin was pale and flawless, and her body appeared both slender and strong. Her face was one that could incite men to start wars, or to fall into jealous rages at the very least.

The other two women appeared slender and fragile; an appearance that Mina knew was misleading. They were vampires, and even the least of them is at least five times stronger and faster than the strongest of humans. They both had straight, mid-back length hair.

One of them had black hair, and a face that looked surprisingly similar to Mina's, but with higher cheekbones and slightly more angular features. Her eyes were dark brown, almost black.

The other had glossy blonde hair that shimmered where the light hit it, and blue eyes that caused Mina to recall sapphires. She was even paler than her sisters, and her head was adorned with a circlet of silver and moonstones. She reminded Mina of the famously beautiful Princesses featured in the fairy tales she used to love.

Looking once again to the leader, Mina declared, "I have yet to learn your names, my sisters. Will you tell them to me?"

The woman Mina had addressed grinned, revealing her fangs as she did so. "I am Ursula, Countess," she informed her. "She is Delilah, and she came after me," she added, gesturing towards the black-haired one. "And she is Bianca, our youngest save for you," she finished, gesturing towards the blonde.

Mina smiled. "Ursula, Delilah and Bianca," she said softly, nodding to each of them in turn.

"Tell me, Ursula; why do you address me as Countess?" she inquired, genuinely curious. She knew that there was something that drew her to the Count, some memory previously buried in her subconscious that made its presence known more and more often ever since she had met her Prince. Perhaps Ursula's answer would shed light on this mystery.

"You are Countess, sweet Mina," replied Ursula, cryptically. "You are the one he has hoped to find ever since a time long before I met him. You are the only one he loves."

Mina frowned. "But does he not love you, my sisters?" she inquired. Ursula laughed softly. "As daughters, maybe, but never the same way that he loves you," she informed her, a trace of sadness lingering in her voice.

Bianca spoke up. "There are paintings in your likeness all over the castle. He has been waiting for you for a long time. Now I know what he meant when he said that he would love again." Wonder and excitement livened up the tone of the lovely blonde's voice.

Mina just felt confused. "But how could he know of me before I was born?" she asked, but even as she spoke, voices murmured in the back of her mind. 'Princess… There was a princess… Man's deceit… River of the Princess… You've found me, my love…'

"Elizabeta," Mina spoke before any of her sisters had a chance to reply. "I was the Princess Elizabeta. I remember now. I jumped to my death after I heard false news of his death, and now I am reborn; I have returned to be with the one I love."

To Be Continued…


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. You are the motivation for me to find the time to continue writing this story.**

_"Elizabeta," Mina spoke before any of her sisters had a chance to reply. "I was the Princess Elizabeta. I remember now. I jumped to my death after I heard false news of his death, and now I am reborn; I have returned to be with the one I love."_

* * *

Mina felt a strange peace as she gazed upon the castle she was standing in front of. Home, her mind whispered. This is your home now. Mina smiled coldly. It was true. This was her home now. Even if she wished it so, she could never return to her old life.

The ancient castle surrounded by snow-covered wilderness was truly a breathtaking sight. Or it would have been were she still breathing. Mina almost shuddered as she realised that her heart was not beating and no breath passed over her lips. She almost shuddered, but not quite. It wasn't the only thing that had changed within the past few weeks, after all.

A delicate hand came to rest on her arm. "Come with us, sister. We shall rest here for the day. Master may have returned by the time we awaken, and if not, we shall wait a little longer."

Mina nodded distractedly, her mind filled with thoughts of how much had changed since Jonathan had gone to Transylvania and she had met Vlad. Before she had met her Prince, she never would have imagined that there was a man, living or otherwise, who was better fitted to her than Jonathan. Now however…

She loved Vlad as she had never loved Jonathan. The young solicitor had been a logical choice, and she had managed to fool herself into thinking that she loved him, or could come to love him in time. Her engagement to him had been a lie, and she had never even realised it.

It was the memory of this lie and her sense of duty towards it that had led her to abandon her Prince in England and sail to Transylvania, to Jonathan and a marriage sealed with wine, the symbol of the blood of Christ.

Now, in a strange twist of fate, she had returned to Transylvania and here she had abandoned Jonathan and now awaited the arrival of the one she truly loved and who was, in a way, both a second husband and her first. She had been married to him in her first life as Elizabeta, and now in this life she was joined to him in an unholy union that was neither blessed by God nor sealed with the blood of Christ, but rather by their own blood and their eternal love.

Mina's sisters in blood guided the occupied fledgling vampire through the labyrinth of hallways to a room where four coffins lay upon the cold marble floor. Her last thought as she laid herself in the most ornate of them and fell into oblivion, was that she wished beyond all else that she could share this new life with Lucy.

To Be Continued…


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Fourth chapter is here, finally. What with writer's block and losing a large chunk of the document when I forgot to click save... I wasn't sure I'd ever get it finished. I can't guarantee frequent updates in the future, either. I've made a commitment to dedicate more time to schoolwork, and I'm thinking about attempting to write a novel of my own. I'll try to find time for this, though.**

_Mina's sisters in blood guided the occupied fledgling vampire through the labyrinth of hallways to a room where four coffins lay upon the cold marble floor. Her last thought as she laid herself in the most ornate of them and fell into oblivion, was that she wished beyond all else that she could share this new life with Lucy._

* * *

Mina awoke before the sun had set. She was roused by a nagging feeling in her gut that something required her attention. Aware that her intuition had been sharpened by her recent transformation, she rose from her coffin and moved over to the room's heavy stone door which she pushed open with one hand.

Mina let out a cat-like hiss and shielded her eyes as she was blinded by sunlight. While, contrary to some beliefs, vampires did not burst into flames upon contact with the sun's rays, it was still uncomfortable.

Allowing Elizabeta's memories to guide her feet, she walked through the hallways until she came to a window that looked back over the way she came. She drifted into a trance-like state as she gazed out over the untamed beauty of the Carpathian Mountains… her true home, the place where she belonged and had been unknowingly searching for all her life.

Presently, she became aware of a speck steadily growing on the horizon. Squinting into the glaring sunlight, she stiffened upon seeing what it was.

A carriage, manned by gypsies and drawn by four fine black horses, was racing towards the castle, closely pursued by four men on horseback. As they drew closer, Mina's preternatural sight enabled her to make out the horsemen's features. They were dear Lucy's unworthy suitors, who had allowed her murder at the hands of Van Helsing (A/N: Mina incorrectly assumes that Van Helsing delivered the killing blow; if she knew it was Arthur who did it, revenge would be high on her list of priorities), and Mina's former fiancé, Jonathan.

She bit down on her lip with anxiety, and smirked when her lip stung sharply where her fang had sliced it, and the sweet taste of blood filled her mouth, reminding her of what she was; a vampire with newfound strength that would allow her to defend those she loved. Her gaze travelled to the sun, and she saw that it had barely begun to set; she looked to the chase again, and saw that the horsemen were gaining. She would have to do something, now.

She had failed Lucy, but she would not fail Vlad. If she could just keep them at bay until the sun set, and her beloved dark Prince regained his power…

Drawing an unnecessary breath, Mina closed her eyes, the better to concentrate, and filed through her mind for the link that Ursula had mentioned last night, the link that she had felt the presence of every night since her Prince had come to her at Carfax and initiated her conversion to vampirism.

The connection was obviously stronger than Mina had realised, for she recognised the Count's presence in her mind less than a second later. _What can I do?_ She thought to him, desperate to find a way to help. _Call the clouds, _his voice whispered within her mind, and suddenly, unexpectedly, she understood exactly what he meant, and how to 'call the clouds'.

Raising her arms and tossing back her head so that her eyes were to the sky, and ignoring the ache in her eyes upon being forced into proximity with the sun's rays, Mina began to chant, drawing upon the energy of the natural world around her. Within minutes, dark clouds had appeared out of nowhere to create a barrier between the sun and the earth. The shadows seemed darkest around Mina, and there was an unholy, powerful glint in her dark eyes.

Vlad's horses continued to gallop at full speed without faltering, but the pursuers' mounts were not so steady. Wild-eyed, their agitation was not helped by the sudden fear and confusion felt by their riders. With a shrill, panicked whinny, Quincy Morris's mount spun around and bucked.

Normally, Morris would have been able to cling to his mount like a fly to a wall, but his distraction in the face of the seemingly unnatural clouds cost him. A short, panicked cry was all the warning his companions received before his foot was trapped in a stirrup as the remainder of his body was dragged by the panicked horse.

It was over quickly. Morris's head banged against a sharp jutting rock, a fatal blow. Not realising that he was too late, Dr. Jack Seward turned back to help, while the others, seeing that it was been taken care of, continued the chase.

Mina allowed herself a moment of victory as she saw that the horsemen's distraction had gained the carriage almost a full minute. It wasn't much, but it could be the difference between them catching up before or after the sun set, which was the difference between her Prince surviving the night or been murdered before they ever had a chance to reunite.

The gaining of precious time and the death of Morris weren't the only consequences of Mina's actions. She could feel her strength increasing with the absence of the sun, and she knew that Vlad was the same in this respect. Perhaps Vlad would be able to fight them off before the sun had fully set…

She suppressed a cheer when Vlad's carriage came hurtling through the castle's gates. After all, two of the aspiring hunters were not far behind, and the sun had yet to set. This night could still become the beginning of an eternity of misery.

Mina snarled when she saw that none of the gypsies had stopped to close the gate behind the carriage, leaving it wide open for the pursuers. Less than a second later, Arthur Holmwood's and Jonathan's horses had sped through the gate.

Holmwood raised a rifle and shot one of the carriage's wheels, forcing the gypsies to halt the horses. The two Englishmen surged forward and engaged the gypsies in a swift but violent battle. Surprisingly, the two came out of it victorious, and with minimal injuries. Above them, Mina glanced anxiously at the western mountains where she knew the sun was soon to set.

To be continued…


	5. Chapter 5

**AN:Well, here's the 5th chapter. I hope you enjoy. Thank you for reviewing Rose, Lady D and Alanna. Sorry about killing Quincy, Alanna, but it just fit in to the story. I'm putting all of my creative writing, fanfiction and otherwise, on hold until I get my schoolwork back under control, so there's no saying when the next update will be. It really depends on how long it takes me to finish the Ancient History essay.**

* * *

_Holmwood raised a rifle and shot one of the carriage's wheels, forcing the gypsies to halt the horses. The two Englishmen surged forward and engaged the gypsies in a swift but violent battle. Surprisingly, the two came out of it victorious, and with minimal injuries. Above them, Mina glanced anxiously at the western mountains where she knew the sun was soon to set._

Jonathan leapt for the carriage, a long, sharp dagger clutched in his hands. Before he could use it, however, an aged Vlad sprang from his coffin, obviously determined that they wouldn't find their task overly easy, sunset or no. Jonathan fell back, narrowly avoiding a blow that would have killed him had it made contact.

Then there was a sound like a clap of thunder, and Mina felt her stomach clench almost painfully when she realised that Holmwood had shot her Prince. With a scream of pained rage, she launched herself from the window that had been, until now, her vantage point. Fangs extended, fingers curled into claws, and eyes blazing, she landed on her feet directly behind Holmwood.

Jonathan's mouth dropped open in surprise when he saw her. Before he had a chance to react in any other way, Mina knocked Holmwood to the ground, and, kneeling over him, she, none too gently, sunk her fangs into his artery. He spasmed beneath her, and raised his arms in a feeble attempt to push her away. In response, she crushed his fingers between her own, causing him to give a choked cry of pain.

He stilled as the strength fled his limbs. His eyes glazed over. Moments before Holmwood's heart completely stopped, Mina felt a hand caress her hair and come to rest on her shoulder. She jerked back in surprise whilst her fangs were still lodged in Holmwood's artery, ripping his throat wide open. Her body twisted so that she could see who it was, and her eyes widened when she did.

Her Prince stood over her, smiling gently with a bloodstain on his shirt near where the bullet had pierced his flesh. The wound had healed. Mina detachedly berated herself when she realised that she should have known it would. She smiled back, eyes clearly showing her relief.

The moment was ruined by Mina's ex. "What have you done to her, you monster?" he shouted, wildly waving his dagger. He was glaring at Vlad, his expression twisted by hatred. He took a step towards the pair, weapon held out in front of him like a child would hold a stick he was pretending to be a sword. His gaze strayed briefly to the area where blood from the rip in Holmwood's artery stained the snow crimson, before snapping back up to glare at the centuries-old vampire with renewed vehemence.

Seeing a threat to her love and Master, Mina stood and placed herself between her respective husbands. (AN: We know that Jonathan's dumped, but he doesn't, so they're technically still married.) Giving Jonathan a look that could freeze larva, Mina said harshly, "He did nothing I didn't desire, Jonathan."

Jonathan's attention moved to Mina. The look he gave her was one of disbelief and pity. "He's poisoned you're mind, Mina. You're under his thrall, or you never would have murdered Arthur. I will save you, my love. Move aside, and I will slay the monster, and we can finally live together without fear," he proclaimed, taking another step towards her. His eyes contained a fanatic, self-righteous light similar to that which had often graced the late Abraham Van Helsing.

Mina growled in frustration, flashing her fangs in warning. Jonathan faltered, an unsure expression flitting across his face. It was gone quickly, however, replaced by the previous determination. "Move aside, Mina," he commanded, face reddening with impatience. Mina just glared, stance defiant, never moving a muscle. An intense staring contest ensued. Jonathan was the first to look away, bowing his head to stare at his feet.

When he looked up his eyes were clearer, the fanatic gleam reduced to a shadow of its former self. "Where is Abraham?" he asked, sounding slightly lost, as though he had been following an instruction manual up to this point, and had turned the page only to find it blank. At that moment, Mina felt an unexpected surge of compassion. She remembered the feelings that had prompted her to accept his proposal. They had been those of a sister wishing to bring joy to a little brother, although she had not identified them as such at the time.

"Forget him, for he is no longer of this realm," Mina whispered gently. "Go back to the west, Jonathan, and live your life as fully as you can. Do not mourn my absence, for I cannot give you what you deserve. Find yourself a woman who can, and I will gladly give my blessing."

Jonathan looked as though he would painfully obey, but then his expression hardened, and he shook his head. "You're not yourself, Mina… you can't be. If you were, Arthur would still be alive. What about Abraham? That monster killed him, didn't he? He killed him and stole you away, and put your mind under his thrall." Jonathan nodded as he finished speaking, obviously satisfied with his conclusion.

Mina felt a spark of her former temper return. "No, he didn't. _I_ did," she practically snarled. "I'm not sorry, either. Helsing was a murderer; he murdered Lucy! Even if you don't care about that, I can _never_ forgive him. I hope he burns in hell!" Mina's eyes were flashing with rage, and the shadows nearest her seemed suddenly to be alive. She began to tremble, the emotions that she had suppressed while trying to be strong for those around her finally catching up with her.

Vlad's hand returned to her shoulder, comforting and gentle. Mina turned into his embrace with a dry sob, feeling utterly miserable and retched. He stroked her hair and whispered into her ear. "I can tell you don't want him to die," he told her. "Do you want me to scare him away, before he hurts you any more?" He was speaking more tenderly than he had in over four centuries, for it had been then that Elizabeta had died, and he had sold his soul in order to gain revenge against the cult **(AU:** **Use of this term to describe Christianity is not intended to offend anyone, but Vlad does refer to it as such in canon)** that had damned her.

Calming, Mina shook her head and turned to face Jonathan once again. Looking him straight in the eye, Mina said softly; "Go Jonathan… Please just go." Her expression was pleading. "You're like a brother to me. I love you, but not in the same way that I love Vlad. If you don't hate me, and I will understand if you do, then we can write to each other, but to live in matrimony would be a lie, and the very least I owe you is the truth."

Jonathan stood frozen, indecision written across his face. After what felt like hours, but was actually only minutes, he stepped back, shoulders slumped in defeat. He glanced at Arthur Holmwood's corpse, then back at Mina, his gaze questioning. "I thought he'd killed…" she began to whisper by way of explanation, before choking on the words, unable to continue.

Jonathan hesitated, and then nodded wearily. "Do write," he whispered, voice clouded by pain. "I will… will take care of Jack. We'll be gone before the night is over… You'd best make yourself scarce before we come back for his body."

Mina nodded silently, and her expression gave nothing away. Jonathan hesitantly reached towards her, but turned away before the action was completed. Hands trembling slightly, he strode away, determined not to look back, for he didn't know if he could survive doing so before it was absolutely necessary. Only once he had exited the gates of the castle grounds did Mina's gaze return to her dear Prince.

To be continued…


	6. Chapter 6

**AN:** I've just finished an Ancient History assessment for which we got to choose what we would study, and I chose the valkyries of Norse mythology. Their really quite fascinating, especially if you start delving into some of the earlier stories. But I disgress. This is, after all, a fanfiction website, not livejournal or myspace, so... on with the story.

* * *

_Mina nodded silently and her expression gave nothing away. Jonathan hesitantly reached towards her, but turned away before the action was completed. Hands trembling slightly, he strode away, determined not to look back, for he didn't know if he could survive doing so before it was absolutely necessary. Only once he had exited the gates of the castle grounds did Mina's gaze return to her dear Prince._

Meanwhile, Mina's three 'sisters', Vlad's chosen fledglings, awoke from their slumber just as the sun vanished behind the distant mountain peaks. Ursula smiled as she rose from her coffin and turned to see if the Countess Mina had also risen. It seemed that she hadn't, so Ursula turned to Delilah and Bianca instead.

Bianca seemed oblivious to Ursula's gaze. She was seated on the stone floor, dust already marring the hem of her usually pristine dress. Her attention was held fully by a huge one-eyed rat that was perched on one slender hand while the other provided him with strips of stale bread. Ursula smiled affectionately at the woman she sometimes dubbed her 'baby sister', then met Delilah's dark-eyed gaze. Delilah nodded in acknowledgment before returning her attention to the copy of 'Paradise Lost' she had stolen from a nearby village the previous night.

Deciding that it was time for Mina to awake, Ursula strolled over to the ornate coffin and placed her hands upon the lid. Before she could push it off, however, the stone door of the chamber swung open to reveal both the Count and the Countess, standing side by side. Vlad's arm was placed around Mina's shoulders, and Mina was leaning into his embrace.

"Master," Ursula exclaimed. "You're back… are the hunters far behind?" Her expression was a concerned one; while she did not believe that the human men were anywhere close to been a match for her Sire, she did acknowledge that Nosferatu were significantly more vulnerable during the day, and did not exactly relish the idea of been forced to lay low in the wilderness away from the comforts of the castle, however briefly.

"Two are dead and two still live," Vlad replied, his tone indicating indifference. "The living ones will leave us be, I think, but we may be best advised to vacate the castle, just in case." He stepped through the door as he spoke, removing his arm from around Mina, who remained hovering in the doorway, her expression content and peaceful.

Ursula felt like banging her head against the wall when she realised that the unpleasant prospect she had just been contemplating was, in fact, about to come to pass. Delilah snapped her book closed, radiating an aura of agitation quite different from her usual attitude of apathy. It was Bianca who voiced what all three femme fatales were thinking. Glancing up from her rodent familiar, she casually inquired; "Why can't we just kill them and be done with it?"

It was Mina who replied. "I don't want them dead," she said decisively. Ursula raised her eyebrows and gave the new vampire a derisive stare, while Delilah made some sort of scathing sound in her throat. Bianca just returned to feeding the rat, seeming oblivious to the surrounding currents of tension, although her posture was stiff. It was clear that she would not be taking sides if the disagreement escalated.

"We will leave for no more or less than three nights," decreed Vlad, expression hard and tone impatient. "After that, Mina shall have the opportunity to pass a warning to them. Should they refuse, it will be made apparent that they are still threats to us, and then, only then, will I allow them to be killed."

Seeing that he was not to be moved, Ursula signalled her compliance with a nod. Delilah followed her lead, but not without rolling her eyes in annoyance. Bianca, however, just smiled and said softly; "It's alright, little sister. Your human, Jonathan… He's one of the living ones, isn't he?"

"Yes," Mina replied serenely. "He's like a brother to me, so I want to keep him safe."

Ursula snorted at that. "You married your brother?" she said, voice filled with sardonic mirth. "Wouldn't your society consider that an abomination, Madam Mina?"

"Only if we were related by blood," Mina replied with a straight face. "Besides, I only just realised that I think of him like that. I thought… Well, I made a mistake when I married him. I just didn't realise until now. I still don't want him to die, though, and I _will_ protect him."

Ursula opened her mouth to make another scathing comment, but closed it within the same second when she noticed the warning glare that Vlad was directing towards her. She nodded her acquiescence in a motion so slight that a human would not have noticed, but her Master saw it clearly, and the corners of his mouth twitched upwards into a smirk that conveyed both satisfaction and approval. He knew that he would receive no further protests from the eldest of his fledglings.

Mina's Dark Prince extended an arm to her, a gentlemanly gesture, and Mina took it with a delighted smile. She laughed, and her laughter contained a seductive edge that had not been there before, for she was now a Draculina, and just as much a femme fatale as the rest of her sisters.

Vlad gave his newest fledgling instructions through the mind link, and soon all five vampires had transformed into semi-transparent clouds of mist that drifted lazily out a window and into the wilderness.

To be continued…


	7. Chapter 7

AN:Here's the next chapter, finally. Thank you Kairi's-twin, VintageLyre and Voldemorts grl for your reviews.

* * *

_Vlad gave his newest fledgling instructions through the mind link and soon all five vampires had transformed into semi-transparent clouds of mist that drifted lazily out a window and into the wilderness._

"You can't be serious, Jonathan," snapped Jack Seward, his fists clenched at his sides as his whole body shook with barely restrained anger. "Look at Quincy, _look at him_. He's dead. He's DEAD, Jon, and so's Abraham, Arthur... and Lucy. And now you propose that we simply leave? Leave alone the beast responsible for these atrocities? Good God, Harker, how could you sleep at night knowing that he still stalks the night, feasting upon the lifeblood of the living? And with _your wife_ at his side to boot."

"I love Mina more than anything," said Jonathan quietly, refusing to allow his temper to be inflamed. "She truly wants to stay. Who am I to deny her that?"

"They're all dead, Harker," shouted Seward furiously. Doctor Jack Seward was one who usually prided himself on cool use of logic, but now his emotions had taken complete control of his action and words. Fuelled by grief and hate, he continued, "Who are you to abandon this quest, and to insist that I do as well, merely because some bloodsucker's whore tells you to?"

No sooner had those words left Jack's mouth, Jonathan swung his fist straight at the other man's face. The crack of breaking bone could be heard, and blood began to poor from Seward's nose like an Egyptian river after God decided to release the first of ten plagues and transform the water into blood. "How _dare_ you speak of her like that!" Jonathan shouted, spittle flying from his mouth, eyes full of rage and pain.

Jack turned away and silence reigned, broken only by the men's heavy breathing and the sounds of nature. Doubts began to plague Jonathan's conscience. Was he really doing the right thing? During the hunt, he had been working under the presumption that Mina was no more fond of the Count than he was, and when she had swooped down from a from a window five stories up to kill in defence of that monster he had naturally presumed that she had been under the devil's thrall, a helpless slave to his will. But then, he had seen the truth in her eyes as she spoke of her love, and he had been able to deny it no longer. The woman he loved undoubtedly loved the one he hated most.

He had always strived to do that which would keep Mina happy, but was that really most important in this situation? Should he place Mina's happiness over the lives that would be lost to the vampires' thirst? He had seen Dracula sacrifice a helpless human infant to the fangs of his demonic concubines. (AN: They're not actually concubines, Jonathan just thinks they are.) And now that Mina had joined their ranks, was she really any better? Jonathan gave a small groan; he didn't like where his thoughts were leading him.

Whether or not it was the right thing to do, in the end, he would put Mina first. Just as he always did. There would be no purpose in pretending to consider both sides of the argument when he knew that the conclusion he reached would be the same. Turning to Jack, he said firmly, "Do as you wish, but I shall follow Mina's request. As for how I will sleep at night… well, I probably won't… ever again. If you ever visit me you'll probably find an insomniac. That changes nothing, however. Mina's happiness remains my top priority, whether I will it or not." The tone in which he said the last sentence was a bitter one.

Jack turned to look at him. "What hope do I have alone?" he inquired, voice shaking with emotion. "Even together, we are outnumbered."

"You see," Jonathan practically shouted, seizing upon this opportunity. "Even together, we have no chance. What, then, is the point of continuing this madman's quest?"

"Perhaps you are right," Jack concurred, grimacing. "I cannot go back to what was, however. If I turn my back on the mission now, after all that we have lost in order to continue it, I shall be driven mad. I'll end up in my own asylum." He chuckled darkly. "Goodbye, Jonathan Harker," he concluded bitterly. "Prosper in England after you flee there like a coward. Just make sure that Quincy and Arthur get decent burials."

"I will," Jonathan replied, ignoring the jab at his bravery. "It's the least I can do, after all."

"Ah how truth drips from his tongue like honey from a comb," Seward shot back sarcastically. "The least you can do, indeed. I'm sure you'll get a special place in heaven for it, provided you don't back out at the last minute!" Even as Jonathan winced at those harsh words, Seward turned away and began to jog awkwardly along the snow-covered road. Presently, he made it through the gates of Castle Dracula and out of Jonathan's range of sight.

Jonathan glanced towards the castle as a worried frown crossed over his face. He had told Mina that he would "take care of" Jack, who was now at Castle Dracula attempting to kill her and the… _thing_ she loved. Jonathan was sure that even the most skilled lawyer would find convincing a jury that he had kept his word to be nigh impossible, and whatever else Jonathan was, he wasn't a liar. He spent a few more moments in indecision before taking off after Jack and towards the castle. Their previous conversation had only served to infuriate Jack and prove to Jonathan that the English doctor would not be swayed from his quest, but, at the very least, he would warn Mina of this threat.

Before he could take more than a few steps, however, a thick cloud of semi-transparent mist drifted down in front of him, and then slowly solidified, growing less and less transparent until Mina stood in its place. Her eyes were bright and her dark tresses flowed wildly down her back. "I hear you want to speak with me," she murmured huskily, raising elegant eyebrows.

A breathless Jonathan finally managed to find his voice after several minutes of Mina gazing at him amusedly. "Where did you hear that?" he managed to ask, deciding to ignore the supernatural aspects of this meeting for the time being. Although the memories that supernatural phenomena triggered within his brain were purely negative, this was _Mina_. She was certainly not a certifiable reason to panic. At least, he hoped she wasn't. There wasn't much that he was certain of any more.

"You were broadcasting your thoughts very loudly," she swiftly replied, watching him carefully as she spoke. He saw an expression akin to pity cross over her features before it was replaced by a perfectly blank mask. Jonathan wondered if he had imagined it, and then she was speaking again. "Don't worry about me. You said that we should make ourselves scarce, did you not? Well, we have done just that. You should know, however…" Here, Mina seemed to hesitate, before continuing rather hastily. "If Jack hasn't left within three days, I doubt I'll be able to stop my family from… well, killing him. There isn't really a more pleasant way of putting it." Her gaze was focused on her feet as she finished speaking, and she seemed slightly ashamed.

An unexpected fury seized Jonathan as his ex-fiancée finished speaking. "You're not going to kill him yourself? Like you did Abraham and Arthur?" he demanded harshly. Mina's face spasmed and her eyes turned red while her eye teeth elongated into fangs. Jonathan fell back from her with a shout, and cowered on the snow-covered ground with his arms over his head.

When he finally found the courage to look up again, she had disappeared.


	8. Chapter 8

AN: Thank you to my reviewers. Don't worry, Alanna, Jack isn't going to die... yet. I'm not sure about later on, but he'll probably see the end of the story.

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_When Jonathan finally found the courage to look up again, Mina had disappeared._

* * *

When Mina rejoined the other vampire women, her aggravated expression quickly silenced any questions that they may have thought to ask her. "Where is he?" she ground out. Ursula silently jerked her head in the direction of a nearby cliff edge before sauntering off after the slowly retreating Delilah and Bianca. Huffing irritably, Mina strode over to the cliff and peered over the edge. Her dark Prince was standing by a snow-whitened tree at the bottom, some distance below her current location. He tilted his face up towards her and beckoned her with his left hand. Hardly thinking of what she was doing, she stepped over the edge of the cliff.

Wind whipped her hair around above her head as she freefell past the natural rock wall. She landed on her feet in the snow, silent and cat-like. Her Prince was smiling, and she beamed in reply before her memory of the reason behind her previous foul mood returned to her, and the smile slid from her face. Vlad closed the distance between them, and then wordlessly pulled her into his embrace. Mina remained stiff as a board, her expression frozen into one as cold as the wintry landscape that surrounded her. Even so, he neither loosened his hold nor spoke, offering her support and understanding as only he could.

Eventually, she felt the first stirrings of dissatisfaction with the silence. It was only then that he spoke. "Humans are never fully comfortable when in contact with our world. Very few can resist the instinctive desire to see it destroyed. That is why our relationship did not long remain as it was; a vampire and a human. And that is why you cannot now keep Jonathan Harker close by without consequences that are unpleasant at best."

"I see that now," Mina muttered. "It seems that we can never find companionship with those not of our kind. You must have been very lonely before Ursula joined you."

"Ursula, Delilah and Bianca are all delightful ladies, but still I find myself lonely in their presence," he confided softly. "The vengeance that I desired when first I chose this fate has long since lost its glamour. Now that I have you, however, I feel that fate has given me a second chance at happiness. You are my salvation, Mina."

"As you are mine," she replied solemnly, and then she gave a quick and bitter laugh. "Some would say that you have damned me, but you are my saviour. I truly have no idea how I survived so long without you."

The conversation came to an abrupt end as Vlad and Mina began to kiss each other passionately. It was impossible to tell which of them had initiated this. Just as the zipper at the back of Mina's dress started to come undone, they were interrupted by a panicked cry of "Master! Master!" from Bianca as she came hurtling towards them. Halting beside the alarmed couple, she spoke so quickly that human ears would have been unable to decipher the words.

"That cute human man Jack Seward came at us with a stake – he must have caught sight of us from the castle. Ursula and Delilah have him trapped and disarmed… I managed to talk them out of killing him, at least until I summoned you. Please come quickly. If you don't, they might get bored and kill him anyway." She looked terrified at the idea.

"Cute human man?" inquired Mina with raised eyebrows and a knowing grin.

"Well he is!" Bianca exclaimed, defensive and unashamed. Turning to Vlad, she pleaded: "Please come quickly." He gave her a reassuring nod and placed his hand briefly upon her shoulder before speeding quickly towards his destination, Mina by his side and Bianca trailing not far behind.

They arrived to find Ursula watching Jack and Delilah with wide eyes, an expression of disbelief clear on her face. The human doctor and the Count's second fledgling appeared to be engaged in a rather heated debate involving the merits of various literature.

"While it is true that William Shakespeare is a great playwright and poet who has been pivotal to the development of literature, the works of John Milton and the bard or bards known in the present day as Homer are quite clearly of much better quality," Delilah was saying stubbornly, arms crossed and eyes narrowed. "I suppose that I must respect your differing opinion, but I for one…"

"Master! Bianca! Mina!" Ursula shouted loudly when she noticed them watching. It was obvious that she was attempting to put an end to the impromptu and highly unexpected debate. Her strategy seemed to work as Delilah and Jack turned away from each other to smile brightly and glare angrily, respectively. Delilah practically danced up to the three newly returned members of her family.

"Can we keep him?" she asked excitedly. "I've had more fun talking to him then I have in a very long time." She appeared luminous in her happiness as she performed several complicated ballet excerpts right before their eyes. Mina joined Ursula in staring at Delilah with utter shock while Bianca just giggled and then joined Delilah in her performance.

Jack, however, was not content to stay silent for long. "NO!" he shouted, wildly waving his arms about. "Get away! I don't want… wait, what?" he broke off as what Delilah had said registered in his mind, and simply stared, uncertain that he had heard the bookworm of a seductive Draculina correctly.

Delilah and Bianca both stopped their antics and turned to look at him. "I enjoy talking to you," Delilah explained after a lengthy pause. "You appreciate books and, although we disagree on some points, you present your case well. I would like you to stay here so that we can continue to talk and debate."

"Ummm… I don't think that's a good idea, Delilah," said Mina, having finally pulled out of her shock enough to speak. "He has a life… we can't just keep him here!"

"Exactly!" Jack agreed, deciding to overlook the fact that he was now stating his agreement with one of the vampires he had come here to kill. "Well, it's not that I really have a life as such; I just won't be kept as some sort of _pet_." Eyes flashing, he turned his anger on Mina. "You were Lucy's dearest friend. She trusted you. How could you betray her by throwing in your lot with the monster who murdered her?" he yelled, even as a few stray tears scaped his eyes to flow down his cheeks.

Turning on Jack with fury on her face, Mina spat; "Who are you to judge me? I daresay I love her more than you! Tell me, Jack, which of you merry vampire hunters murdered her? Was it Van Helsing? Or did you perhaps strike the final blow?"


	9. Chapter 9

AN: I'm about to go on a retreat for four days, and will have no access to a computer. That means no working on this fanfiction, which means the next update is likely to be even slower than usual. Thank you to all my wonderful reviewers. I hope you enjoy this installment.

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_Turning on Jack with fury on her face, Mina spat; "Who are you to judge me? I daresay I love her more than you! Tell me, Jack, which of you merry vampire hunters murdered her? Was it Van Helsing? Or did you perhaps strike the final blow?"_

Jack stared at Mina in shock, her words echoing in his mind. _Which of you murdered her?_ This was the first time that it had occurred to him that an observer might consider him and his companions the killers of Lucy, rather than Count Dracula. Anguish flared within him before he ruthlessly quashed it. _Don't be stupid,_ he told himself. _It was that monster that caused her death; Arthur merely released her soul from its demonic prison._ So it was that he turned snarling to the green-clad brunette. "Lucy would have preferred been truly dead to becoming one of the devil's wh… mmph." His tirade was cut off by one of Bianca's milky-white hands been placed, none to gently, over his mouth.

"Shut up, you fool," she hissed, eyes blazing. "Have you no sense of self preservation? You're surrounded by five vampires in the middle of an out-of-the-way region of wilderness, in case that escaped your notice. Have some respect! Even I'm tempted to kill you right now, you stupid man, and I actually _like_ you."She punctuated her statement by jerking his head back by the hair abruptly and painfully before freeing his mouth. Her eyes dared him to speak. He remained silent.

Jack winced. His face would surely bruise where the waif-like blonde had gripped it. He did not keep this train of thought for long, however, for he was soon distracted by a furious growl that escaped Mina as she stalked over to stand in front of him. "You truly think that Lucy wanted her existence ended?" she spat, all the while looking as though she might start either crying or laughing uncontrollably any moment. "I knew her better than you or any of your companions ever could -" Here she paused, some indescribable emotion showing on her face, and then she was talking again. "You didn't give her what she wanted," Mina concluded.

"Then what do you suppose she _did_ want?" Jack snarled testily.

"A chance to continue existing… and perhaps to see me again, as well," she replied, and the latter part of her declaration was stated in a whisper so quiet that it could have been a trick of the wind. She stood rigid in front of him. After a little while he noticed that she was no longer rigid, but trembling instead. Suddenly, she dropped to her knees while giving a wail of lament. She tore at her hair and her eyes blazed red with the strength of her grief. Jack stared. Caught up in his own mourning, he never would have guessed that Lucy's death had affected Mina so.

The Count stepped forward, and then kneeled beside her. He put his arms around her and held her to his chest while she wailed and sobbed. Glancing over her head, he glared at Jack. If looks could kill, Jack would have been terribly tortured and welcoming his own death fifty times over. In spite of himself, he felt a shiver of fear spread rapidly throughout his body. Never before had anyone looked at him like that, and he hoped that no one ever would again.

Mina, meanwhile, was no longer aware of her surroundings. Rather she was completely immersed in her memories of Lucy. In particular, she remembered what she had seen when she had snuck out to the graveyard at night because she had to see for herself that it was really true. It had been, of course… pale and cold but still beautiful Lucy lay motionless in the coffin. Her white dress glittered like starlight, but Mina could not bring herself to appreciate the garment when the top of it was splattered with the corpse's own blood. Worst of all, however, had been Lucy's head, loped from her neck and resting upon her bosom.

The sight had made Mina all the more distraught, but she had managed to pull herself together enough to make it back to her and Jonathan's townhouse, and to pretend, even to herself, as if she had never seen her best friend's butchered corpse. She had proceeded to relentlessly drive the memory from her brain until her conscious mind truly had no memory of what she had seen. She had beguiled herself into thinking that this reality was one where she got enough closure merely from been told of her dearest friend's death, and did not seek anything more. And if she sometimes woke in cold sweat from nightmares of Lucy's decapitated remains, well, the dreams must be stress-induced delusions, and she would do well to dismiss and forget them just as soon as she possibly could.

Although her conscious self had not recalled the atrocity, her subconscious did, and it was this that had fuelled her cruel words to Van Helsing, and had assisted her in so easily killing Arthur Holmwood without hesitation.

The sudden reappearance of her forgotten memories was deeply shocking to Mina. She felt as if a knife had been thrust into her heart and twisted followed by salt been rubbed into the wound. Before meeting her Prince, she had cared for no one anywhere near as deeply as she had for Lucy; her flirtatious, playful and vivacious best friend. Ah, but the memory of her last sighting of Lucy was so very painful. Subsiding into quieter sobs, she clung desperately to her Prince, who was her anchor in reality and the one she loved best. He held her and stroked her hair and murmured soothing words into her ear.

When she turned in her lover's arms to look again at Jack Seward, one of the three suitors that she considered unworthy of one such as Lucy, she observed that Bianca was hovering protectively in front of the human. She gave the Count and his Countess a wary look, and then bowed her head respectfully, although her eyes remained defiant. "His words have been careless and cruel, it is true," she began cautiously. "But _her _death hit him very hard. I believe that his grief, and the significant emotional turmoil that he has suffered, is reason enough to excuse him from any negative consequences of his actions."

Mina and Bianca locked eyes and engaged in a staring contest for several tense minutes. The potential disagreement was forestalled when the younger woman nodded stiffly in unspoken consent. Shifting restlessly, Vlad warned; "Be careful, Bianca. His suffering only increases the danger he could pose to you should you let your guard down."

"Of course, Master. And thank you."

"You should thank Mina, not I. It was her decision. Had it been mine, he would undoubtedly be dead."

Jack flinched away at the original vampire's words and at his seemingly cold and unfeeling tone. His breathing quickened as fear and adrenaline shot through his veins at an alarming pace. Bianca turned towards him as his significantly accelerated heartbeat came to her attention. Through a haze of panic he saw her soulful blue eyes gazing at him in concern, and he saw suddenly how similar they were to Lucy's. Not in colour, for Lucy's had been a warm brown, but they seemed to possess the same tender kindness and vivacious playfulness. "Breathe, Jack," Bianca commanded gently, and he released the breath he hadn't realised he had been holding in a great _whoosh_ of air.

Bianca tentatively placed a comforting hand on Jack's shoulder, and smiled when he didn't flinch away. Kneeling down beside him, she suffered a brief moment of indecision before she unclasped a fine silver chain from around her neck. From the chain hung an angel-shaped amulet carved mostly from copper, but also with hair formed of gold and four wings of silver. She pressed the figurine into the human's hand. "His name's Zadkiel," she murmured. "I want you to have him. He's the angel of mercy and forgiveness. I thought it appropriate."

"How did the amulet come into your possession?"

"When I was a child, Mother told me that Zadkiel would absolve me of even the most appalling atrocities if I was truly sorry, and then she gave me the icon. I'm not convinced that he could still forgive me now, but I have kept him close nonetheless."


	10. Chapter 10

AN: After this chapter, I just have to write the epilogue, and then it's finished. Thank you for reviewing, Alanna and Nightcrawlerlover. I'll do my best to keep up my standard of writing, Nightcrawlerlover. Please let me know if it ever slips.

"_When I was a child, Mother told me that Zadkiel would absolve me of even the most appalling atrocities if I was truly sorry, and then she gave me the icon. I'm not convinced that he could still forgive me now, but I have kept him close nonetheless."__ (Bianca)_

"He would forgive you; I know he would," Jack told Bianca with an unexpected yet strong certainty. "Whatever you have done, there is still kindness in your heart, and it is clear to me that you feel at least some remorse. For that, I am sure that any watching divine powers will grant you amnesty."

The blonde woman turned towards him with a wide beaming smile on her face. "You're so sweet," she gushed happily. "Thank you, Jack… I can call you Jack, can't I?"

"Of course you can," he told her, with a small smile of his own.

"She reminds you of Lucy," said Mina suddenly. Her voice was surprised and somewhat irritated. Jack hung his head without replying as blood rushed to his face.

A firm yet gentle hand, cool as a mountain stream in late autumn, cupped itself under his chin. He allowed his head to be raised and found himself looking into the sweetly amused eyes of Bianca. "I don't mind," she told him. "Would you like to come for a walk with me? I _can_ take care of myself, Master." The last was stated in a chagrined yet reassuring manner. Vlad watched her and Jack carefully for several seconds, and then nodded sharply.

"I know," he informed her wearily.

"Please be careful, sister. He may have loved Lucy," Mina grudgingly acknowledged, a bitter sneer marring her expression. "But that didn't stop him from been party to her execution."

Looking at Mina sharply, he informed her hotly; "If you had seen her as a vampire… she wasn't meant for that existence. Even so, I never could have struck the final blow myself! It was Arthur who found the courage to sacrifice his own peace of mind to set her free. When we saw her in the crypt, her mind was already breaking under the strain of that existence! If, by some miracle, she had 'survived', so to speak, she would have become the worst sort of monster. She probably would have completely forgotten her human life in time."

"I could have saved her."

"You could have saved her? How's that? Because she _loved_ you, perhaps?" he said mockingly. "You didn't think we wouldn't notice? Well, it was actually Arthur who did, and accepted it as well, although he eventually let it slip to me."

Mina glared.

"Umm… how about we go on that walk now?" Bianca interceded. Jack was quick to agree, and then the two of them were rapidly disappearing into the distance. Ursula grabbed Delilah's hand and dragged the dark-haired vampiress away in the opposite direction. Alone once more, Vlad and Mina proceeded to resume the activities in which they had been engaged prior to Bianca's interruption. Within minutes they found themselves embracing each other as they lay naked in the snow. Were they humans they surely would have frozen to death, but they were not; indeed, their undead bodies were actually more comfortable in the extreme cold that would have maimed their breathing, mortal counterparts.

Meanwhile, Jonathan was leaning against a tree as he wept. He felt shame for his tears, yet he couldn't hold them back. Ever since he had stumbled cold, wet and shivering into a Transylvanian monastery, he had remained stubbornly stoic, hiding his emotions behind an often expressionless mask. Only now that he had lost everything did he allow the tears to finally fall. His wife had left him for the being that had imprisoned him in a waking nightmare and of the men who had become his friends when they united behind a common cause and in shared pain and righteous anger, the only survivor now held him in the lowest regard.

He was startled by a sharp intake of breath. Looking up, he saw Jack Seward, the aforementioned survivor, and clinging to his arm there was…

"_You_," he snarled when he recognised the deceptively sweet-looking blonde. Well he remembered this modern-day Lilith dining on his blood along with her decadent 'sisters'. It had been a depraved orgy of terror that had reduced him to a state of delirium, and from which he had made a panicked, surreal escape that had seemed to be just as much, if not more, in the realm of hallucinations and dreams than it was in the realm of reality. Disbelief and betrayal were written all over his face as his gaze moved from the sinful beauty to the man at her side. _This_ was the man who had scorned and ridiculed him for submitting to the will of his much loved wife turned vampire?!

"Giving up already, Jack?" he asked mockingly. "Considering your reaction to _my_ decision, I didn't think you would. It actually seems rather hypocritical of you."

"Aren't you pleased that I'm no longer trying to kill Madam Mina?" Jack retorted with both annoyance and puzzlement shining through on his features. "Isn't that the reason you wanted me to leave them be in the first place?"

"I didn't mean for you to keep company with one of those… those… demonic women of the pit! They kept me imprisoned by draining my blood make me weak, Jack. How can you condone that?"

Jack looked sharply at Bianca, who gave him a bitter, self-depreciating smile. "Still think Zadkiel could forgive me?" she asked him. "I told you that I am beyond redemption, didn't I? The truth is that my current placement on this earth goes against the rules of nature set down by God. We Nosferatu are anomalies whose existence first came about through heartbreak and desire for revenge. Since then we have been created out of a desire for companionship. Vlad created all of us – Ursula, Delilah, me, and, more recently, Lucy and Mina as well – because he has been lonely. Yet even with us… Well, we hope that sweet Mina will be the one to finally bring him out of the dark anguish that has been eating at him since long before I met him."

Jonathan turned towards her, his expression an almost mad one that betrayed past traumas. "_Why?_" he whispered "You sound almost as if you want redemption… but why act as you did towards me, if that is so?"

"My sister Delilah often says that we are the devil's minions on earth, whether willing or otherwise," came Bianca's cryptic reply. "I think she just likes the dark poetry of the idea – _Paradise Lost_ is one of her favourite books – but perhaps she is right. It would certainly explain a lot. Like why we shy from all things holy, and why we gain our sustenance from the lifeblood of the human race. Like why we find ourselves capable in death of travesties we never even dreamed of whilst we still breathed. But I hear that Master was just as terrifying to his enemies as a human as he is to the masses now."

"He was?" asked Jack, intrigued. "Who was he, exactly?"

With a slightly frightening smirk, Bianca replied with a question of her own. "Ever heard of Tepes?"

"I think so. He was a Wallachian warlord, wasn't he? A member of the Order of the Dragon, named Tepes post mortem for his practice of impaling his enemies. Are you saying that that… _man_ is him?"

"The very same," Bianca replied smugly, tossing her head back so that her long blonde hair rippled. The moonstones on her silver circlet caught the moonlight, which caused the gemstones' brilliant luster to become apparent. It occurred to both men that, in that moment, she seemed easily identifiable with Artemis, an Ancient Greek goddess with jurisdiction over the moon and the hunt. Jack murmured something to that effect, Jonathan nodded in reluctant agreement, and Bianca laughed softly, alluringly.

Seeing the love for Bianca that Jack held in his eyes, Jonathan felt the last of his true anger towards the small vampire family fly away with the icy north wind. He was still upset about what had happened, of course – probably always would be – but his feelings about all that had happened had ebbed to a rate that was defiantly more manageable. He stood and gave both Jack and Bianca his farewells, which they solemnly returned, and then he began to walk away. Bianca frowned at the dangerous winter landscape, and then reached out with her mind. With a satisfied smile, she gripped Jack's hand in hers and waited.

Not long after, the cold was sinking deep into Jonathan's bones, and he was beginning to regret his decision to just walk to the nearest village. As he began to grow truly worried, he heard the soft _thump_ of hooves on snow, and then the horse that Quincy had been riding during the chase that now seemed an age ago came trotting around a corner, saddle and bridle still in place. The fine mare stopped by his side and bowed her head, docile as a sleeping puppy. Jonathan smiled a relieved smile. It seemed that God was finally getting back on his side.

Further up the valley, a vampire with the appearance of a moon goddess turned to her male companion and told him; "Jonathan will get home just fine. He thinks God provided transport. A pseudo deity _is_ on his side, but it isn't who he thinks."


	11. Epilogue

AN: And now my first ever multi-chaptered fanfiction is complete! I'm pleased that I was able to keep with it until the end. Thank you once again for your reviews, Nightcrawlerlover and Alanna. I'm glad that I wrote Bianca to your liking, Alanna.

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_Dear Jonathan,_

_I was overjoyed to hear of the birth of your daughter. You called her Wilhelmina after me? That was very sweet of you. I am glad that you found someone to share your life with. Alice sounds like a very nice woman. I am quite happy here with my family. They are all truly wonderful. It may interest you to know that Jack has finally taken Bianca up on her offer. He went through the transformation two nights before I sent this letter. Jack and Delilah are still as argumentive as ever, but in a good, rather playful way._

_I really think that you should go ahead and let Alice know about what happened in Transylvania, and about my existence. Such secrets are never good in a marriage. If she truly loves you then she will accept it. _

_The happiness you wrote of has filled me with joy. My only regret in regards to my decision to join Vlad is the pain it brought you, old friend. Now it seems that it was all for the best after all, and I am glad. Perhaps one day we will meet again._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Wilhelmina Dracula._

Jonathan tucked the letter away in his coat pocket, and then left the post office to begin the walk to his house. As he walked he decided that it was indeed time for him to tell Alice the secrets of his past. It was with this resolution that he slipped the key into the lock of the Harker family's townhouse, and then swung the door opened. He removed his boots and coat, the latter of which he hung on the coat rack, but not before removing the letter from the pocket and placing it in the pocket of his trousers instead. He then made his way up to the bedroom.

There she was; his beautiful wife, golden tresses piled up and pinned on top of her head, and wearing a simple gown of periwinkle blue. She straightened up and turned towards him from where she had been fussing over their recently born daughter, and her smile seemed to light up the room. Bright green eyes twinkled warmly in her round, kind, motherly face. Just as he often did, Jonathan thought of how beautiful she was, and how lucky he was to have her. He stepped forward to meet her, and they kissed passionately, before she tumbled backwards onto the bed, and he descended on top of her.

Later that night, as the Harkers rested in each other's arms, the husband remembered the promise he had made to himself; that he would tell his wife the whole truth. However, as he looked at her, and her peaceful, loving expression, he could not bring himself to shatter that peace. Now was surely not the time to speak of such things. _Night is no time_ _to speak of things that truly go bump in the dark,_ he told himself. _It's not because I'm afraid of her reaction; no, it's not that at all. I'll tell her in the morning. Truly I will._

With this resolution, he fell into a fitful sleep.


End file.
